Gathering Dark
by bookwormwithanattitude
Summary: Heavily edited to be new and improved! This is what Ron and Hermione went through while Harry was off getting the locket with Dumbledore in HBP. The darkness is outside the castle, but the Dark is gathering inside... Complete missing moment.
1. Hermione

**Gathering Dark**

A/N: New and Improved!

Another A/N: Reuploaded, but I've only edited it slightly for one line to be more in line with canon. Turns out Ginny was supposed to be in the library. Rather than change a bunch of stuff, I just put in a quick explanation for why she was suddenly at the Quidditch Pitch.

Part 1: Hermione

"Don't look at me like that, Hermione…I'll see you later," Harry assured them and he backed away, then turned around and clambered through the portrait hole. His muffled footstep receded, until she couldn't hear them anymore…until Harry was nothing more than a memory.

Hermione stared after him, mouth half open, and some small part of her wondering if she'd ever see him again.

"Hermione," she felt Ron squeeze her shoulder. "It's gonna be okay. He'll come back, I promise. Doesn't he always? Now, come on, do your coin thing."

Hermione nodded, smiling weakly. She began to rummage in her bag, while Ron sat by her, nervously tapping his foot. She saw him roll his eyes a little as she shoveled stacks of books out of her bag. She hadn't used the coin in forever, so it was at the very bottom somewhere.

"How do they all FIT?" he hissed after she took out her seventh book. She shushed him as she rooted in the corners of her now empty bag, and finally extracted the DA coin with a faint cry of triumph.

She slapped the Fake Galleon the table and it gleamed slightly.

Hermione whispered a spell and gave a complicated twirl of her wand. The coin became hot and glowed brightly, bathing her and Ron in yellow light. It dimmed to show the message: "Hrry nds u meet Ft Ldy", instead of serial number.

Hermione grabbed her bag and Ron's arm, hurrying him out the Portrait Hole. "Come on."

They stood out in the hall, and Hermione looked around furtively "Where's Ginny?" she asked.

"I met her when I went out to get some food from the kitchens a few minutes ago. She'd gotten sick of studying. She told me she was going to go flying to let off some steam and to tell Harry that's where he could find her," Ron said.

"Go find her, then, I'll wait here."

As soon as Ron disappeared from sight, Neville clambered out of the Portrait Hole.

"What's wrong?" he asked, round eyed with worry.

"Harry thinks something's going down tonight, he wants us to man Snape's office and the Room of Requirement," Hermione explained.

"Where is he?"

"He had to…go somewhere. Sorry, we're not supposed to tell," Hermione said apologetically. "The point is he thinks something's going to happen tonight while he's gone. Personally, I'm not convinced, but you know how Harry gets…"

Luna came sprinting up the corridor. "Is Harry being attacked by a Grebnack?"

"What's a-never mind," Hermione sighed, not wanting Luna to waste time explaining whatever new oddity was currently headlining the Quibbler. "Harry's gone; he just needs us to keep watch."

Ron arrived soon after, toting Ginny, who looked furious. "Harry is GONE? And he didn't say GOODBYE?"

"He'll be back, he told us to tell you goodbye," Hermione assured her.

Ron looked around. "Where're the rest?"

"I don't know," Hermione said anxiously. She whipped out the Marauders Map. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

"Hermione's been replaced by an evil duplicate!" Luna gasped.

"No, Luna, it's just the password," Ginny said soothingly.

"They're all still in their dormitories," Hermione said anxiously. "We'll have to just round them-oh no."

She scanned the map desperately, but there was no dot saying "Draco Malfoy" and with a jolt, she saw "Gregory Goyle" was outside the Room of Requirement.

"What's up?" Ron asked.

"Malfoy's in the room!" Hermione said tersely, feeling a bit panicked. Honestly, she couldn't see why Malfoy was going to put his supposed plan into action tonight. How would he know Dumbledore had gone? But it seemed awfully important to Harry, and Harry had really wanted them to do it…

"Harry thinks he's going to do something…for the Death Eaters." She held up her had as Neville opened his mouth in shock, Luna looked quite unfazed in contrast. "Harry wants us to guard him, as well as Snape, while he's gone. We have to act quickly. Who wants to guard Snape's office?"

There was a moment of silence as everyone stared at her like she had gone mad. Finally, Luna raised her hand. "I'll do it. I think the real reason Professor Snape is so odd is that there's a Rabnack Grease Fly sucking out his happiness through his hair."

"Okaaaay…anyone else?" Hermione asked. "Come on, we need two."

"He hates me," Ron pointed out.

"I'd rather take on a Manticore," Neville shivered.

"I called Snape a brainless git last week, so we're not on good terms," Ginny explained.

"How many points did you lose for that one?" Ron asked with mild interest.

"Fifty."

"Wow, he must have been in a good mood…"

"Well, SOMEONE has to go!" Hermione cried.

"Why not you?" Ron asked.

"ME? He hates me just as much as you, Ron!"

"Yeah, but you can pretend you want to bother him about homework or something," Ron rolled his eyes. "Like you did first year!"

"Yes, and if you remember, that worked out splendidly," Hermione snapped. The last thing she wanted was to have to question Snape about her nonexistent problems with his homework.

"C'mon, Hermione, we don't have much time," Ginny begged.

"I-I-oh, all right, I'll do it." Hermione grumbled. "Take the stupid Map."

She shoved it at Ron who grinned and said, "Thanks, Hermione. I'll do the next ungodly horrible task."

"You had better!" she snapped. "Now give everyone some Felix."

Ron took out the little bottle full of merrily bubbling gold potion.

"Harry wants us to use this lucky potion he won to…further our odds of success," Hermione told Neville and Luna, who looked mystified. Harry had said just to split the potion between her, Ron and Ginny, but they couldn't well tell Luna and Neville they didn't get to have any potion. After all, Neville and Luna would need some extra luck just as much, if something came up…

"That doesn't look like enough for five people," Neville pointed out.

"Well…Harry did say he wanted the three of us to split it…" she pointed at herself, Ron and Ginny, "but of course, now you're here we ought to-

"You three should split it," said Neville firmly. "That way it will last a few hours. It would run out in no time if we all had some. Right, Luna?"

Luna nodded.

"But-"

"Hermione, we don't have time to argue with them," Ron muttered.

"Oh, all right…." She sighed.

She conjured them three little glasses and Ron gave her and Ginny each a bit of potion. Hermione felt reluctant, like they were wasting it. Harry was probably in a life threatening situation right now, and he'd given this to them, when they were safe at the school.

Mostly to distract herself from worrying about Harry, Hermione downed her bit of potion hastily. Instantly, her anxieties about Harry vanished. He was going to be fine; he'd faced the likes of basilisks and Voldemort and come out all right! Meanwhile, here she was, boundlessly confident. The world was her oyster. Snape was nothing, she could handle him. She had luck on her side.

"The stuff is good," Ron said. "Well, we'd better go."

"Okay," They all split up, Hermione and Luna taking the long stairway to the dungeon. Despite the potion, Hermione still felt annoyed. As sure as she was everything would turn out all right, she'd prefer not to be watching Snape. Ron definitely owed her.

"Stop," Hermione held out a hand to stop Luna before they reached Snape's office. "We can't risk Snape hearing us. I'll need to cast a silencing spell."

"What about that one Harry and Ron are so fond of, that Muffliato one?" Luna asked vaguely.

Hermione wrinkled her nose. She didn't want to use that stupid Prince's spells, not to mention the Felix seemed to be telling her using it on Snape was a bad idea, though she had no idea why.

"No, I think it would be…better…to use an Advanced spell," she explained. "This one will make our voices and any sounds we make silent except to one person. Of course, I'll choose you to be able to hear me, and you'll choose me. That way we'll be able to talk without Snape hearing. We cast it on ourselves, so he shouldn't detect it."

"Okay," Luna said agreeably.

It was a very difficult spell for something that basically had the same effect as the simpler Muffliato, she admitted grudgingly to herself. Still, with Felix, Hermione was sure she could handle it.

"Think hard about how much you want me to hear you, and I'll do the same for you," she advised Luna.

She held out her wand, concentrating hard and muttered the incantation. Then, with a series of complicated wand movements, she pointed to Snape's office, then to Luna and herself. A kind of mist gathered over Luna and Hermione, and she felt a faint rushing in her ears, then it was over.

"It worked?" Luna asked.

"Only one way to find out," Hermione said nervously. She crept up to Snape's dusty office door.

"PROFESSOR!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. "ARE YOU IN THERE? I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT OUR LAST ESSAY!"

She waited with baited breath. Snape's quill continued to scratch inside.

"Well, that settles it," Hermione said brightly and she sat outside the door. "I wish we had the Invisibility Cloak, but Harry had to take it."

Luna sat down across from her. "Where is Harry?" she asked curiously.

"I can't tell you," Hermione said apologetically. "He's on a mission."

"We never found a Crumple Horned Snorkack," Luna said suddenly.

Hermione was taken aback by this random turn in conversation. "What?"

"When we went to Sweden. Me and Dad. But I'm sure they exist."

"Oh…oh…well, if that's how you see it…" Hermione said. There was a few seconds silence. The Felix was niggling at her to say something to Luna. Suddenly, the words poured out of her mouth.

"Listen, Luna, I wanted to tell you, I'm sorry."

Luna looked surprised. Then again, she always looked surprised with those wide eyes of hers. "About the Snorkacks?"

"No! I'm sorry I was rude to you at first, when we met first you. I'm just…a very logical person, and I had a hard time accepting your ideas."

Luna was listening. Hermione had no idea why she was saying this, but the Felix urged her to continue.

"But in the hospital wing, when I was bored, I had time to think about it. I know what it feels like to be…left out. When I was in primary school with the Muggles, I was the strange one with funny ideas and people teased me. They were scared of me because I could make funny things happen when I was angry. They stole MY stuff as well. When I got my acceptance letter to Hogwarts, I believed it, right away, even before I had any proof. Well I suppose technically the magic I had done was a kind of proof…" she trailed off a bit. Luna was listening intently, so she went on.

"But…the point is, seeing as how there's magic in the world, I suppose lots of strange things are possible. I don't believe in, er, Crumple Horned Snorkacks or anything, but I can respect that you do. Just because we're different doesn't mean we can't be friends."

She stopped. Luna was beaming at her. "So, I guess, I'm sorry…"

"That's quite all right. I know my ideas are odd, even if they…if I do believe they are true. Those were very nice things to say. Thank you."

Hermione smiled back at her.

"People don't steal my stuff anymore, you know. I suppose it's because they know I'm friends with you lot. Or it could be because Ginny threatened to kill them. She does have a bit of a temper," Luna noted.

Hermione laughed. "Yes, that sounds like Ginny."

"The things always came back anyway, I told Harry that. I believe it was due to Blubbernelck Fairies."

Hermione didn't ask, but leaned against the wall, yawning and listening to Snape's quill scratch away. She wondered if Harry was right about Malfoy. She was used to being the one who was right a lot of the time, but that didn't mean Harry was always wrong. The evidence that Malfoy was a Death Eater was overwhelming...of course, _Harry _didn't believe _her _about his Prince being a nasty piece of work despite the overwhelming evidence there, so why should she believe him?

This thought gave her vindictive pleasure, but at the thought of Harry, she wondered how he was doing, if he was all right, what he was facing right now---but the Felix once again made her too confident to worry much and she slipped back into comfortable thought.

They sat there for ages and nothing happened except for the occasional conversation with Luna, like:

"Do you suppose Snape is a Vampire?"

"What? No, I don't think so, why do you ask?"

"He's very pale and looks like an overgrown bat."

"True enough. But he goes out in daylight and doesn't seem very active at night."

She listened again to the scratching. "Not to mention he doesn't have fangs."

"Dental treatment and sun repelling charms, obviously."

"I give up," Hermione sighed.

Or:

"Does Harry still want to be an Auror?" Luna asked suddenly.

"Yes."

"Even after what I told him about the Rotfang Conspiracy?"

"He plans to get the Aurors on the straight and narrow," Hermione said with a bit of a grin.

"Oh. Well good for him."

Or:

"You know, I also liked your Quidditch commentary," Hermione commented.

"Really?"

"I don't think McLaggen is possessed by and evil spirit though. I think he's just a troll. A perverted troll," she muttered the last part bitterly.

"I suppose. The clouds were nice that day," Luna said dreamily.

"Yes, they were. No one notices the clouds anymore."

"No, they don't."

Despite these bits of talk, Hermione grew bored. Snape didn't appear to have any plans to go to bed like a normal person. His quill was still scratching away even though they'd been there for hours.

Hermione was a bit nervous about the fact she had no idea if anything was going on upstairs, suddenly, the nervousness increased twofold and Hermione knew the Felix was wearing off. It was very late, and Hermione was about to suggest that possibly Harry was mistaken and they should call it a night, when suddenly Professor Flitwick, looking pale and not well at all, barreled past them into Snape's room.

Hermione and Luna jumped up in surprise. They heard some Professor Flitwick's squeaky voice crying "Severus! The Death Eaters are attacking! You have to come help!"

Suddenly there was a loud THUMP and then Snape came running out of the room. He looked around at them, blinked in surprise, but quickly recovered.

Without slowing down a bit he said sharply, "Professor Flitwick has passed out. Go take care of him," and then he was around the corner and gone in a split second.

Hermione and Luna looked at each other in panic, and then ran into the office. Professor Flitwick was indeed lying unconscious on the floor. There was a large bruise on his forehead, which Hermione assumed he must have gotten from the fight upstairs. She pulled out her wand and knelt beside the prone professor.

"Rennervate!"

Groggily, Flitwick opened his eyes. Luna and Hermione helped him up onto one of Snape's threadbare chairs.

"Professor! What's going on?" said Hermione anxiously.

"Death Eaters in the school…attacking…the Dark Mark…everyone's fighting…"

"The Dark Mark!" Hermione said, horrified. "Oh my God! Ron! And…and Ginny and Neville!"

"Come on," Luna cried and the two of them raced out of the office, leaving Professor Flitwick behind.

Hermione flew up the stairs, her heart pounding like a drum in pure panic. They heard bangs coming above them and raced to the top floor, where they found chaos.

Walls were cracked, plaster was falling in chunks from the ceiling, and paintings were torn and hanging crookedly off the walls. Bloody footprints marked the floor. Hermione immediately located Ron, who was against a wall, fighting a Death Eater. Ginny, was as staring down the hall after something. Neville was sprawled on the floor farther down, but he was clearly alive, as he was groaning miserably. The Death Eater fighting Ron appeared to be the only one there right now, though Hermione thought she saw the hem of a black cloak whip around the corner far away.

The Death Eater fighting Ron ran for it as well, and he tried to shoot a curse at Ron over his shoulder, but Hermione shouted "Impedimenta!" causing the Death Eater to have to duck to dodge the spell and forget about cursing Ron.

The Death Eater ran away from her, and she made to follow him, but Ron hailed her.

"Hermione!" Ron cried as Luna stared at the crack Hermione's spell had made in the plaster. "You're all right!"

"Yes, of course I am, I had no idea any of this was going on! Is anyone hurt? Did anyone die? Is Harry back yet?" she squealed.

"I thought I saw Harry. I don't know if anyone's-"

"BILL!" Hermione suddenly heard Ginny scream.

Ron and Hermione spun around. Tonks and Lupin were crowded around Bill, but Hermione could only tell it was him from the long red ponytail, his face was bloody and unrecognizable.

"Oh no," Ron rushed over looking sick.

"He'll be all right," Lupin said. "It doesn't look fatal. Let's get him to the hospital wing."

"I thought I saw Harry," Tonks said.

"I saw him," Ginny said. Her hands were shaking badly as she looked at her brother, but her voice was steady. "He ran out of the tower. He got a Death Eater off me and ran after the escaping ones."

"He WHAT?" Ron and Hermione said together.

"We've got to find him!" Ron said. He looked at Bill apprehensively, clearly not wanting to leave him.

"I'll do it. I saw where he went. You take care of Bill," Ginny said, turning away from her injured brother with obvious effort.

"But-"

"I'll be right back," Ginny said, and she ran out.

Ron looked completely lost. "Harry…Bill…"

"He'll be all right," said Hermione, though she felt utterly sick to her stomach. "They'll both be."

They followed Lupin and Tonks to the hospital wing.

They laid Bill out on a bed, where Madam Pomfrey checked him over.

"Fenrir Greyback got him," Lupin said grimly.

"He wasn't transformed!" Hermione cried, horror struck.

"No, he…" Lupin stopped looking out the window. "A fire!"

Hermione and Ron looked around. "Where?"

"No, it's just gone out," Lupin pointed at the window.

"That's Hagrid's hut!" Hermione gasped.

"He's all right, I can see him," Luna suddenly spoke up. Indeed, they could see the lumbering shape of Hagrid even from this far away.

Hermione felt like she was about to cry. "But where's Harry?"

Nobody answered her, but Ron looked immensely worried. Madame Pomfrey motioned for quiet as she tended to Bill. Ron watched her, unconsciously wringing his hands in nerves. Hermione rested her hand on his shoulder gently, her stomach heaving and heart pumping.

Five minutes later, just as Ron opened his mouth to say something, Ginny suddenly arrived, along with Harry.

Harry didn't look so good. His elbows were scraped up and a thick stream of blood dripping from his nostrils, and he had a couple bruises and a cut under his eye. But mostly, he looked pale. He was as white as a sheet, and he had a look in his eyes Hermione recognized. She called it "the dead look" She had seen it in the days after he came back from the graveyard, and in fifth year. It was like he had seen too much and that everything behind his eyes had shriveled up and died.

Hermione felt the overpowering urge to hug him and acted on it, he patted her on the back stiffly and she let go.

Ron gave him a weak smile, checking to make sure he was fine, and then turned his attention entirely to his brother.

"Are you all right, Harry?" Lupin asked anxiously.

"I'm fine, how's Bill?" Harry said, looking away. His voice was oddly strangled, as if he was holding something in.

Nobody answered. Harry surveyed him for a moment, then said, "Can't you fix him with a charm or something?"

"No charm will work on these. I've tried everything I know, but there's no cure for werewolf bites," Madam Pomfrey said grimly.

"But he wasn't bitten at full moon," said Ron in a strangled voice. "Greyback hadn't transformed, so surely Bill won't be a-a real-?"

Hermione listened to Lupin's explanation about how Bill might have some wolfish characteristics, looking from Bill, to Ron, to Harry, to Ginny and then back to Harry again. Something was wrong here… The dead look in Harry's eyes…the way Ginny was gripping Harry's hand so hard…their pallid faces… Then when Ron started talking angrily about Dumbledore curing Bill, she saw something in Harry's eyes shift, and Ginny close her eyes as though something had hit her across the face. Hermione felt her heart freeze-

"Ron-Dumbledore's dead," Ginny said quietly.

The world seemed to stop spinning. She looked at Harry and saw confirmation of this in his pained expression…and something died in her as well.


	2. Ron

_A/N: New and improved! This one took some HEAVY editing! I like it much better now._

Part 2: Ron

Ron hurried off to find Ginny, his pounding feet sending shudders through his body. When he finally reached the Quidditch pitch he skidded to the stop. He squinted up at the sky. Ginny was very high up, a redheaded speck in the distance.

"OI, GINNY!" he screamed, but there was no way she could hear him. He pointed his wand at his throat and muttered "_Sonorous_".

"GINNY!" His voice was now so loud and booming he wouldn't have been surprised if people inside the castle could hear it. Flocks of birds rose from the trees of the Forbidden Forest, agitated by the sudden noise. "COME DOWN HERE!"

Ginny zoomed down to the pitch immediately. She dismounted her broom and landed lightly, looking alarmed. "What's up?"

Ron returned his voice to normal and then muttered "Harry's left for a mission with Dumbledore, and he wants us to keep an eye on Snape and Malfoy. He thinks they're up to something and if Dumbledore's gone…"

"Harry LEFT?" cried Ginny, looking still more alarmed.

"C'mon, we have to go," he said, dragging his little sister by the arm. He ignored her sputtering as they marched up to the castle, explaining quietly about how Harry had heard Malfoy whooping in the Room of Requirement.

Though Ginny listened intently, it was clear she wasn't pleased with how she hadn't been able to say goodbye to Harry. She immediately started questioning Hermione about it when they saw her standing outside to Common Room with Neville and Luna, but Hermione silenced her.

Hermione quickly spotted Goyle on the map, and they all decided they should head off. After a brief argument about who should be with Snape (Ron managed to get Hermione to take the job. He was quite pleased with himself until he realized from the murderous look she gave him that her revenge would probably unpleasant) and yet another argument about who should take the Felix Felicis, Ron handed out the potion to Hermione and Ginny.

He downed some himself after stuffing Harry's socks in his pocket. Immediately, most of the anxiety he'd been feeling since Harry had raced off to parts unknown left him. He felt just like he'd done when he'd _thought _he'd taken the potion, supremely self confident and like he could do no wrong. He supposed Harry had been right, it WAS all mental. Still, he savored the feeling.

"This stuff is good," he commented. "Well, we'd better go."

Everyone agreed, and they all split up. He couldn't help but grin a little as Hermione threw a last mutinous look at him over her shoulder. Malfoy would be cake. He'd always been easy to overcome when it came down to it. How many times had Harry and Hermione flattened him? And Ginny had already taught him a lesson with her Bat Bogey Hex. If Malfoy DID try anything, they'd stop him.

So he confidently made his way to the Room of Requirement with Ginny and Neville. All they found when they got there was the usual blank stretch of wall.

"Is Harry SURE Malfoy's in there?" Neville asked nervously.

"He must be," Ron said scanning the map again. "Anyway, we're supposed to keep watch…that's what Harry said."

They were silent for about fifteen minutes after that. Ron had his ear pressed against the wall, listening for noises. Malfoy was definitely up to something, but what did Harry think he could do at Hogwarts? They had EVERY security measure; Malfoy wouldn't be able to pull anything off. It was a little cracked, if you asked him. But Harry had seemed so bloody insistent! Dumbledore wouldn't leave if he thought there was danger…would he? If nothing happened and they had to stay up here all night, Ron was going to give Harry a piece of his mind…

"Er…what does Harry think Malfoy's going to DO?"

Ron was jerked out of his reverie by Neville's voice. He looked around to see Neville's uncertain face and Ginny's sullen one.

"Harry thinks Malfoy's up to something in the Room of Requirement. He thinks he's…a Death Eater."

"Yeah, he told me that," Ginny said. "He heard Snape trying to get Malfoy to crack."

"Or trying to help Malfoy," Ron said darkly.

"What? Malfoy…a Death Eater…but he's just sixteen…and Snape can't be a Death Eater! Neville cried. "He's our teacher…even if he is scary,"

"Snape WAS a Death Eater, but he apparently switched sides. And as for Malfoy, ask Harry, not me," Ron said, pressing his ear back against the wall.

"And Dumbledore lets him teach?" Neville seemed to be trying to process the news about Snape.

"Who know the mysteries of Dumbledore's mind?" Ginny said dryly.

"Not me," Ron muttered.

Neville fell silent at this. A few times he opened his mouth to ask questions, but closed it. For what seemed like ages, they stood in silence. Suddenly Ron thought he heard a thump behind the wall. He jumped back and all of the sudden the wall opened and Ron found himself face to face with a very surprised Draco Malfoy, who was clutching a shriveled arm that he recognized as Malfoy's foul Hand of Glory.

Automatically Ron raised his wand and pointed it at Malfoy's face. Ginny stepped in beside him and did so as well.

"What are you doing in there?" Ron cried.

"You'd better tell us unless you want flying bogies attacking your face again!" Ginny threatened.

"Uh…yeah…you bad…person…" Neville clearly didn't have much experience in threatening people.

Malfoy looked completely calm, which surprised Ron. If Ginny had been looking at _him _like that, he'd be running hard in the opposite direction. But Malfoy merely gave a soft little laugh, and before they had time to react, casually reached into his pocket and flung black powder into the air.

"Hey!" Ron cried as everything went pitch dark.

"See you later," he heard Malfoy's voice drawl and then there were receding footsteps. Ron tried to follow the footsteps but instead crashed into Ginny.

"Ow!" she cried.

"Sorry," Ron gasped. "He must have gotten Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder!"

Suddenly, Ron was knocked off his feet by a stampede of people. He considered throwing curses at them but was afraid he'd hit Neville and Ginny. Thankfully, they seemed to be thinking along the same lines, so he wasn't caught in a crossfire either.

He did try desperately to punch and kick at the unknown people, knowing if Malfoy had let them in they had to be trouble. One of them got tired of this and fetched him a hard slap to the head and he was knocked into someone who pulled him up. Long hair brushed his face and he could tell it was thankfully Ginny.

Eventually the stampede stopped and the last footsteps disappeared around the corner.

"Are you okay?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah," Ron said. "Where's Neville?"

"Here," they heard Neville's voice. Someone plowed into Ron and stumbled. Ron reached out and pulled Neville up by the neck of his robes.

"We have to get out of here!" Ginny cried. "_Lumos! Incendio! Lumosalem!"_

The hall remained black.

"No light can get through Fred and George's powder," Ron said. "We'll have to feel our way out."

After a few minutes of feeling around and bumping into each other, Neville located an exit.

"Here!" he cried

Ron and Ginny followed his voice and soon found themselves in a well lit empty hallway once more. Almost immediately they saw Tonks, Lupin and other assorted members of the Order running towards them.

"What's going on? We've been patrolling the corridors for Dumbledore…" Lupin gasped.

"Malfoy's smuggled a bunch of people into the school!" Ron shouted, relieved to see help had arrived.

Lupin swore, and Tonks stammered "What? How is that possible?"

"We don't know, he used the Room of Requirement somehow," Neville explained.

"Which way do you think they went?" said Tonks urgently.

"One who bumped into me seemed to be heading that way…" Ginny indicated a passage to her left and set off in that direction.

The group sped off pell-mell and winging around the corner of the hallway to the Astronomy Tower, Ron spotted the Death Eaters heading for the entrance to the tallest tower.

"There!" he cried. Using one of his trusted shortcuts, he managed to intercept the group before they reached their destination. Suddenly, he was the only thing blocking a group of bloodthirsty henchmen to You-Know-Who from their destination.

Ron suddenly felt very intimidated.

"Er…you can't come in here. It's after curfew and…as a Prefect…erm…" he found himself stammering, to his horror.

He trailed off as the Death Eaters raised their wands, one letting out a very unpleasant chuckle.

"STUPEFY!" A barrage of spells from his friends and the Order suddenly interrupted the chat, all aimed toward the Death Eaters, who, with shouted swear words and shrieks, scattered. Ron gave chase to a solidly built man, shooting spells at him. The man spun around and shot a Killing Curse at him, Ron didn't have time to react, but the curse missed him anyway.

"I love you, Felix," Ron muttered and he proceeded to Stun the man who had attempted to kill him.

It was mind boggling, being in a duel this fast paced; Ron would fire a spell, only having to dodge another. He and the Death Eater who had come to fight in his cohort's stead seemed to be evenly matched. A big, blonde Death Eater was letting off spells everywhere, which really made it complicated. Ginny was locked in combat with a large man, dodging his spells like nobody's business, Neville was backed against the wall by a Death Eater and Lupin rushed into aid him…then Malfoy sped past Ron, who broke away from the fight, firing spells after him.

Malfoy yelled "Protego!" shielding himself.

"Not fast enough, Weasel," he taunted. "Guess that doesn't just apply in the Quidditch field, eh?"

Malfoy raced through the doorway to the tower and up the stairs. Ron charged after him, but Neville got there first, and crashed into the empty doorway like it was a brick wall.

Ron caught Neville as he fell back, clutching his stomach and gasping. "Some...kind…spell…"

Ron saw that the wizard he had been fighting before had caught up to them.

"Hell," he muttered, and he dragged himself and Neville out of the way just in time. He dropped his friend and stood in front of him, fending their attacker off with spells, until one of the Order charged in to drag Neville away.

Ron continued his pitched combat, his ears ringing…he couldn't look and see what was happening to anyone else…they could all be dead for all he knew…

Fear and adrenaline pumped through his veins, fueling him on, as he tried desperately to keep a clear head…the Felix was wearing off…

Screams of fury, screams of pain…all mixed in his head like the tempo on a broken Wireless…he didn't notice anything but the fight in front of him until…was that _Snape and Malfoy?_

It was. And sprinting behind them was Harry_…_ looking positively _insane. _In almost six years of friendship, Ron had seen Harry look pretty angry, but it was nothing compared to the fury on his face at the moment. Harry charged after Snape, his face flushed and his eyes snapping. He looked almost ready to rip somebody's head off and eat it.

Snape was screaming something; it was all Ron could do to continue the battle. Harry was all right…that was good…where was Dumbledore?

Suddenly a Death Eater hit the wall with a squeal beside Ron, who looked over again and saw that Harry had just cursed the man who'd been attacking Ginny. _His_ Death Eater suddenly peeled off and ran away. Ron was too shocked by this turn in events to stop him and was even more shocked when the hooded man took a second to glance back, his wand pointed over his shoulder, apparently of a mind to get in a last minute shot at cursing Ron…

"_Impedimenta!"_

The Death Eater ducked the curse, but stopped his last minute attack on Ron. He disappeared around the corner.

Ron spun around to see Hermione and Luna standing there, Hermione with her wand raised, apparently prepared to go after Ron's attacker and give him a piece of her mind. Ron thought it best to steer her away from this train of thought.

"_Hermione!_ You're all right!" he cried.

"Yes, of course I am! I had no idea any of this was happening going on! Is anyone hurt? Did anyone die? Is Harry back yet?"

Ron tried his best to answer this typically Hermione-ish barrage of questions. "I thought I saw Harry. I don't know if anyone's-"

"BILL!" he heard his sister scream in pure terror.

Ron spun around to see Ginny kneeling over a man with red hair and a fang earring…a man who was unrecognizable as his brother; his face was so slashed and bloodied…

"Oh no," Ron felt sick to his stomach as his feet carried him over to Bill.

"He'll be all right," Lupin said. "It doesn't look fatal. Let's get him to the hospital wing."

"I thought I saw Harry," Tonks said, though she seemed far away as Ron stared at the bleeding Bill.

"I saw him," Ginny said. "He ran out of the tower. He got a Death Eater off me, then he ran after the escaping ones."

"He WHAT?" Ron said at the same time as Hermione, snapping out of his reverie. "We've got to find him!"

Ron stole a look at his brother as he said this, not wanting to leave him in this state.

"I'll do it. I saw where he went. You take care of Bill," Ginny said stoutly.

"But-" Ron began. Ginny shouldn't go out there, it was too dangerous!

"I'll be right back," Ginny plowed over him, and she ran out.

Ron felt like someone had hit him over the head with a broomstick. "Harry...Bill…"

"He'll be all right," said Hermione in her best "comforting voice" though she was as white as a sheet. "They'll both be."

Lupin and Tonks levitated Bill to the hospital wing, Ron and Hermione following them.

They laid Bill out on a bed, where Madam Pomfrey checked him over.

"Fenrir Greyback got him," Lupin said grimly. Ron felt dumbstruck at this news. Why hadn't he seen that happen?

"He wasn't transformed!" Hermione cried.

"No, he…" Lupin stopped looking out the window. "A fire!"

Ron looked out the window, but saw only darkness. "Where?"

"No, it's just gone out," Lupin pointed.

Ron didn't need Hermione to point out that the fire had been in the direction of Hagrid's hut…a fire at Hagrid's, Bill hurt, Harry off doing something stupid…how much more could he take?

"He's all right, I can see him," Luna suddenly spoke up. Ron did see Hagrid's form, and felt a surge of relief. He still wondered where Harry was though, and if he was with Hagrid.

Hermione voiced these concerns as well, sounding like she was about to cry. Ron wished he could comfort her, but could think of no answer as he stared at Bill's face, unable to tear his eyes away, feeling very, very lost. Finally, he looked up, and was about to suggest they go find Harry and Ginny when the both of them appeared with a creak of the door. Ron surveyed them.

Harry didn't look well, but he was intact, alive. Ron turned his attention back to Bill, as Lupin asked his Harry was okay. Harry replied in the affirmative, and asked about Bill.

Madam Pomfrey told them there was no cure for werewolf bites, and Ron's panic mounted. Lupin had said Greyback wasn't transformed; it couldn't be a real werewolf bite! He voiced this, and Lupin explained that Bill might have some wolfish characteristics.

This only panicked Ron more. Would the Bill he knew disappear, turn into someone grumpy, growly and feral? Would his brother ever be the same? Where was Dumbledore when you needed him? Ron started to ask this, when Ginny interrupted him.

"Ron-Dumbledore's dead," she said quietly.

Ron felt as though she had punched him in the stomach. He caught Harry's eye, and Harry confirmed it silently. Dumbledore dead…it couldn't be…

And he listened numbly while Harry explained what happened…and it was because of Malfoy, and Snape…Harry had been right. It was all his fault, Malfoy would have never gotten to Dumbledore if they'd kept a better watch, if he somehow been able to stop him…Dumbledore's phoenix sang a sad song out on the grounds, and the thought left him. He could not stop listening; he could only commiserate with the bird's mourning and let the beautiful song ease his shock and pain slightly. But then McGonagall came in and Ron was forced to hear the rest of the story, and explain his failure to Harry.

His mother came in, and so did Fleur and they all worried over Bill. And then, miraculously, his mother and Fleur made amends and wept together over his injured brother. It felt slightly comforting, to see at least one scene of love and understanding amid this terrible mess of a night. Next thing he knew Tonks was declaring her love for Lupin…things were happening way too fast…and Harry was going to talk to McGonagall.

After Harry left, a deadened silence filled the room.

"What do you suppose they're going to talk about?" Ginny asked.

"Probably whether the school should stay open…" Lupin said in a tired voice.

Silence again.

"Well," his mother sniffled, "you lot should probably be getting to bed."

"Are we sure Bill will be okay?" Ginny asked.

"He will always bear these marks, but other than that and a possible taste for raw meat, he will recover and go back to his normal self," Madam Pomfrey assured them, still visibly shaken over the news Harry had given.

The four of them trudged out numbly.

They didn't talk until Luna turned to take a separate path.

"Are you okay, Luna?" Hermione asked gently.

Luna turned to them, and Ron saw her eyes were red and there were tracks of tears all over her face. She nodded at them with a watery smile and said "G'night," before walking away rather fast.

Ron never thought he'd see Luna Lovegood cry.

The three of them entered Gryffindor tower. People stood silently, staring at them. Ginny gave them a quick nod before running up to the girl's dormitory at a sprint with her hands over her face. Ron wished his eyes would stop _burning._

He turned to Hermione.

"Well," Hermione said. Her voice was high pitched, as it always was when she was upset.

"Well," Ron said back, "'Night"

"See you tomorrow?" Hermione phrased it as a question for some reason, as if she was afraid he, too, would die on her.

"See you tomorrow," Ron said back in a reassuring voice.

Hermione enclosed him in a brief hug, and then left the room as well. Ron trudged up the stairs alone. He sat on the bed.

And waited…

Ten minutes later, Harry arrived. He glanced at Ron, and his mouth twitched sadly. He sat down on his bed, the springs creaking under his weight. Ron stared at him. He had never seen Harry look so…defeated. Utterly hopeless.

He looked how Ron felt.

Finally, Harry spoke, "They're talking about closing the school."

"Lupin said they would," Ron said flatly.

There was a pause. The blood around Harry's nose had dried up. His friend seemed to stare right through him. Ron had no idea what to say. Then he remembered.

"So? Did you find one?" Ron said in a near whisper, as if he thought someone was spying on him. Well…you never know these days. "Did you get it? A-A Horcrux?"

Slowly, Harry shook his head.

"You didn't get it?" Ron felt utterly devastated. He had hoped, for that one second, at least one thing tonight would have turned out okay. Just one small thing. "It wasn't there?"

"No. Someone had already taken it and left a fake one in its place," Harry said heavily.

Ron was dumbstruck.

"Already _taken-?"_

Harry pulled a locket out of his jeans pocket, and mechanically handed it to Ron. He gave no explanation. Ron read the note…read it three times, trying to figure it out.

"R.A.B.?" He finally spoke. "Who was that?"

"Dunno," Harry said, lying back gingerly and looking away from Ron. He left the unspoken part of the sentence hanging. _Don't care. _

Ron bit his lip and remained silent, putting the locket down at the foot of Harry's bed. Then he settled on his mattress, hugging his knees to his chest. The grounds were silent now, the phoenix had gone…just like Dumbledore…

Ron was a git sometimes; he was the first to admit it. He was sometimes insensitive, he was usually insecure. But there was one thing he didn't want to be. Dead. Not dead like Sirius or Dumbledore…dead _inside_. Just…empty. Everyone around him was dying…in more ways than one. He looked at Harry and remembered when they had first met. It seemed like a billion years ago…they had all been so happy. So _alive. _All the things the three of them had been through together…the danger…it was amazing when he thought of it. And here they were. Numb. Devastated.

When had it started; this descent into darkness? It had been so slow at first. After You-Know-Who has come back, though, all the death…the pain…it had started happening all at once. And he could see Harry dying inside…he'd seen it for a long time…Hermione too…he could feel his own sliding, slow death.

Why them?

What the hell had they ever done?

Only in his weakest moments he said it blatantly to himself, because he wasn't gushy like that, but he loved Harry and Hermione more than anything. And he hated to see them suffer like this. He didn't want them to get…torn apart on the inside… until they stopped caring. Until they died.

Maybe he should say this, before he chickened out?

He looked over at his friend once more. Harry was asleep. He'd fallen asleep with his glasses on.

Only natural, Ron supposed, Harry must have been through hell and back today.

Even when he was asleep, Harry didn't look peaceful. He was frowning with his fists clenched. Even asleep, Harry looked angry…and scared.

He was tired too.

But he couldn't sleep

He couldn't stop the ringing in his ears, like an alarm bell. He couldn't stop the death that seemed to haunt this school…that haunted him and his friends.

_Why._

_Why?_

_WHY? _

Fin.


End file.
